Trump stated that Apple will collaborate with Intel in designing and manufacturing chips in the United States. Driven by this news, Intel's stock price rose 9% that day. The market viewed this statement as the latest signal that Intel's foundry business might be securing a major external customer.
Apple's collaboration drives expectations for contract manufacturing
Intel has faced continuous pressure in the competition for advanced manufacturing processes and AI hardware over the past few years, with its manufacturing roadmap repeatedly delayed, which has also weakened market confidence in its foundry plans. If Apple officially places an order, it means that Intel's foundry division will gain a major external customer.
However, the information disclosed so far is still limited. Trump did not specify the type of chip, production scale, contract amount, or provide a clear timeline for production.
The Coinpaper report also mentioned that Trump said Nvidia had agreed to work with Intel to produce "Tier 1" chips, but similarly did not disclose more complete business details.
US shareholdings and progress on 18A are under scrutiny.
Trump also stated that the U.S. government had previously acquired a 10% stake in Intel to support the rebuilding of domestic semiconductor manufacturing capabilities. According to his article, this investment was worth nearly $10 billion when it was announced last year, and with the recovery of Intel's stock price, the value of the U.S. stake has risen to over $60 billion.
Meanwhile, Intel said this week that its next-generation 18A manufacturing technology has entered initial production. The company also said that demand for its central processing unit products continues.
The combination of these two pieces of information has led the market to refocus on whether Intel can leverage advanced manufacturing processes and government support to expand its external customer base for its foundry business.
AI investment continues to support the chip sector.
The report points out that the chip sector as a whole is still supported by investment in AI infrastructure. Demand for data centers, servers, power, and computing power continues to drive market attention towards chip manufacturers.
Against this backdrop, Intel has been placed at a more central position in the US's efforts to bring semiconductor manufacturing back to the US. If Apple does indeed participate in related projects, Intel's foundry business will gain a major consumer technology customer.
However, the global market still faces supply disruptions in the Middle East and upward pressure on oil prices. Even so, demand for chip stocks has not weakened significantly.
